


Straight

by threeturn



Series: tumblr fic [5]
Category: One Direction (Band), X Factor RPF
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 16:53:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7582177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threeturn/pseuds/threeturn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That time in 2010 when Harry visited Niall in Mullingar and <a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/0f/88/38/0f8838717af3be840b1696edc4572a4e.jpg">straightened</a> his <a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/05/e8/52/05e852d74d76490429556b981064816d.jpg">hair</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Straight

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Maybe With Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/840640) by [threeturn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/threeturn/pseuds/threeturn). 



> Originally posted on tumblr [here](http://valencing.tumblr.com/post/66105094681/do-you-have-any-more-headcanons-deleted-scenes) as a prequel to my fic [Maybe With Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/840640).

It was Holly’s bright idea to blow his hair out straight, when they’d gone round to hers after shopping, but it was Niall who made it necessary to let her do it. Once she’d got the idea in her head, not a minute passed before she was darting upstairs to the bathroom and galloping back down waving a blow dryer and a can of hair spray menacingly back and forth, so that Harry immediately shouted “no!” and dove into the couch cushions headfirst.

“Ní hea,” corrected Niall, because they were still playing the game where Harry was supposed to speak Irish, although they hadn’t fully worked out the system of rewards and punishments yet.

“Ní hea,” agreed Harry, speaking mostly into a pillow covered with itchy embroidery stitching. 

“He’ll never do it,” he heard Niall explain to Holly. “Doesn’t have the nerve.”

So obviously Harry had to pop back up again.

“Not like you, Niall,” agreed Holly. “Man enough to go blond. Man enough to take the bleach.”

Her fingers were in Niall’s hair.

“Fine,” said Harry. “Straighten it.”

“Again in Irish,” said Niall, so Harry pulled his hair and said, “That Irish enough for you?” and Niall got his fingers in Harry’s armpit and poked hard and Holly grabbed the back of Harry’s collar and pulled and then a few minutes later he was in the kitchen with his head under the faucet. 

Harry tried to glare at both of them. There was water streaming down his forehead and trickling into his eyes.

“Like a wet cat,” said Holly in satisfaction.

“Here, kitty kitty,” said Niall, and tossed him a towel that had probably been used to wipe the dishes or more likely the floor. 

Then he was sitting in a kitchen chair with Holly rubbing in goop and the dryer buzzing too close to his scalp, while Niall sprayed him with product at random intervals and made faces. It took a long time. If he leaned his head back just a bit it would be touching Holly’s chest, but Harry wasn’t going to do that, because Niall was his mate. “Ow!” he said instead, over and over.

“Aw, Harry,” said Niall, and sprayed in his eyes accidentally. “Sorry, mate.”

“Don’t be a baby, Harry,” said Holly, and yanked hard with the round brush.

“I’m _supposed_ to be a baby,” said Harry, and pouted. “Tell her, Niall. I’m the youngest.”

Niall thought about this. “It doesn’t matter if you really are. I look youngest, so that’ll be me.”

"That’s not a bit fair,” Harry started, and then, “Ow, Holly!”

She patted him on the cheek. “It looks lovely,” she said. Her hand was warm from the dryer and a bit sticky from the product.

Niall patted his other cheek. “You look like an idiot,” he said, in the same gentle, reassuring tone of voice, and then he started laughing so hard his cheeks went red. 

Harry put his hands in his hair. It felt sleek and wrong. Holly went round to his front to get a better look at him and started laughing too. She and Niall clutched each other and rolled onto the floor. Harry folded his arms. “I am now grown-up and mysterious,” he said, and started looking about for a mirror. Holly crawled over to her purse and handed him a compact before collapsing back into Niall again and howling.

“Thank you,” said Harry politely. He inspected the horror that was now his hair and then jumped on top of them both.

Later, when they were back at Niall’s in their pyjamas discussing who was fitter, Rebecca or Cher, and which cars they’d buy if they ended up winning, and whether Liam and Louis were likely to start getting on, Harry waited for Niall to grab the last slice of pizza before announcing, “Well! Time for a shower!”

“You can’t,” said Niall, and reached over him to the pile of serviettes. “Your hair’d go all curly again.”

“That,” said Harry, “is the point.”

“We went to all that trouble,” Niall pointed out. He put his arm around Harry and spoke in that slow way that meant he was trying very very hard to keep his voice steady. “And it looks beautiful, mate, honestly.”

“That’s not what you said before. I know your game. You want to keep me looking like an idiot for as long as possible.”

“Well—” said Niall, and scritched his fingers against Harry’s scalp. It still felt a little sensitive after all the heat. Harry let out a little sigh.

“What?” said Niall.

“Nothing,” said Harry, and cuddled in a little closer. Louis petted his hair all the time, but Niall never did.

“You’re not gonna take the shower after all?” Niall’s fingers stroked through Harry’s hair again, more gently this time. He held a lock between his thumb and forefinger. Harry knew how it felt, silky and flat, because he’d been sneaking his hands up to it all day.

“I just don’t feel like me,” said Harry, and wondered if Niall would keep petting his head once it was curly again.

“Yeah,” said Niall softly. He leaned his head against Harry’s head. “I know what you mean.”


End file.
